Day 40

Today was a day of work.  I started a lab report, mailed a form for a job, and applied for another job.  Pretty boring stuff.  But there was one exciting thing to happen today:


I just booked a week-long liveaboard trip!

A liveaboard trip is where you live on a dive boat for anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.  You dive up to three times a day at dive sites that are too far away to reach and return in a single day.  Liveaboards are veeeery expensive.  Mike Ball Dive Expeditions, the company with which I am lucky enough to be sailing/diving with, charges from $3050 for the week (budget in low season) to $4723 (premium in high season).  Fortunately I am not just going on a liveaboard trip, I'm actually volunteering.  So in exchange for changing a few beds and washing a few dishes, I get to go for free!

Let me say that one more time.  FREE!  Am I a lucky duck or what?

The trip isn't till the end of November, which means I've also got a wee bit of bad news: I won't be home for my birthday/Thanksgiving.  On the plus side: I'll be on a week-long dive adventure for my birthday!  I'm still trying to finagle another week out on the liveaboard, but this pesky university gig keeps getting in the way.

And what kind of boat will I be spending my week on?  Check out some photos from their website:

Oh, and would you like to see the menu?

Pretty awesome, right?  I'll probably be staying in a room with three other people (who may not be of the same gender, how scandalous!) so I'll have ready-made friends!  So I'm an optimist, sue me.  The only other fly in the ointment is that I had to change my flight home, which cost me a pretty penny, but I'm sure it'll be worth it.  It's hard to be even a tiny bit negative about something so incredibly awesome!

Cheers,
Ashton